While we hear it constantly, we can’t hear it enough that tanning is huge risk. But the sun isn’t all bad, and we often hear rumors about the sun working with our skin to help acne clear up faster than any other remedy. Is it another beauty myth, or could it be true that catching rays allows us to beat the breakouts?
While it’s not true that shaving your legs more frequently makes the hair grow back thicker, it is true that using the sun to dry up breakouts can actually make pimples come back worse, according to Dr. Judy Levine, New York City-based dermatologist. To get the straight scoop on the myth, we asked Dr. Levine.
Beauty High: There’s a myth that people have stuck in their head, that you can cure acne by tanning more, that it’ll dry out. What do you tell people?
Judy Levine: I tell people it’s true that the sun does dry and fix pimples. The problem is there’s a backlash. So if you go in the sun, let’s say you go on vacation, you come home, you have no pimples and then a week after being in the sun, the pimples come back and they come back exacerbated. So it’s a tradeoff.
Our advice? Stick to spot treatments and a cleansing face wash, and avoid harmful UV rays as much as possible.
Image via Istock
More From Beauty High:
10 Beauty Myths We All Fall For
Mistakes to Avoid When Self-Tanning
8 Home Remedies For Acne
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